Software eases workholding design
A
SolidWorks Corporation product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
May 20, 2008
SMW AutoBlok has standardised on SolidWorks software for new product design in most of its plants.
SMW Autoblok uses SolidWorks 3D CAD software to design the industrial-strength chucks and other workholding components used by auto plants, pipeline equipment manufacturers and virtually any other company around the world that machines parts.
With plants in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, SMW AutoBlok has standardised on SolidWorks software for new product design in most of its plants.
"Nobody stocks anything anymore".
"So our lead times have been cut in half", said Mike Dempsey, Managing Director of SMW Autoblok's UK plant.
"We have as little as 10 days to develop a concept, design it to within five to 10 microns of spec and troubleshoot any problems".
"SolidWorks makes that possible by letting us re-use parts and identify and fix problems before cutting begins".
"I have faith that if I can get the model in during the proposal stage, I'll get the work".
Much of what Dempsey and his team design involves chucks that rotate at high speeds while holding a part (such as an oil pipe that needs a groove) to be machined.
The slightest imbalance throws the process off and requires two days of on-site work to fix.
SolidWorks' physical simulation, part interference and mass properties coupled with CosmosXpress load analysis have helped engineers eliminate delays, saving about US $1200 for each instance, according to Dempsey.
He also credits SolidWorks and eDrawings e-mail-enabled design communication tool with boosting sales.
"Many prospects and customers don't understand CAD and therefore the detail that goes into our designs", said Dempsey.
"We couldn't easily share Autodesk Inventor designs, so we couldn't really communicate with suppliers, customers and prospects".
"SolidWorks and eDrawings give us that communication in models that everyone can understand".
SMW Autoblok will soon be able to securely vault, share and collaborate on designs with PDMWorks Workgroup product data management software.
Companies can accelerate product design using PDMWorks, which enables engineers to work concurrently on product designs without introducing errors.
SMW Autoblok has already saved money, time and headaches by using detailed design process documentation from PDMWorks to achieve ISO 9001 certification.
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Google Ads
Contact SolidWorks Corporation
Related Stories
- Pam-Comfort helps Renault design new seat
- Anvil selects CDS solution to present CAD online
- University of Manchester buys 20 NI Elvis units
- ESI software supports PT-Grid project
- Ansys software verifies Wimbledon roof design
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,518)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (539)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,132)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (475)
- Production line blowers and fans (74)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (974)
- Consultancy and Services (922)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,128)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (817)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (190)
- Control and Instrumentation (3)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (296)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (203)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,203)
- Plantwide control (1,353)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (575)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (392)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,437)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (2)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,290)
- Industrial Motors (502)
- Linear Drives and Motors (121)
- Precision Motors and Gears (430)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,090)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,307)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (583)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (717)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (649)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (3)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (375)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (722)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (430)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (828)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,368)
- 2D CAD software (203)
- 3D CAD software (1,194)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (583)
- Data, document management software (322)
- Electrical design software (167)
- Engineering Design Software (17)
- FEA and structural analysis software (377)
- File conversion software, data capture (358)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (339)
- Materials design and moulding design software (152)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (325)
- PLM and collaboration software (664)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (269)
- Publishing and documentation software (234)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (206)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (958)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,212)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (438)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (850)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (577)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (366)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (636)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (418)
- Engineering Training Courses (458)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (180)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (285)
- Health and Safety Legislation (403)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (115)
- Machine Building (4,621)
-
Materials and Processing (3,035)
- Materials and components (2,267)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (292)
- Rapid Prototyping (471)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,653)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (490)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (505)
- Data loggers (425)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (643)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (762)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (449)
- Materials testing equipment (431)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (158)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (520)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,269)
-
Powertrain Design (3,712)
- Bearings (983)
- Chains and belts (333)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,476)
- Hydraulic Components (475)
- Lubricants (441)
- Powertrain Design (3)
-
Sensors (7,286)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (449)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (644)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (290)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (158)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (538)
- Linear Position Sensors (415)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (729)
- Pressure sensors (640)
- Proximity Sensors (713)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (563)
- Sensors (11)
- Temperature sensors (622)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,411)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (2,043)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,725)
